Game Date 04.03.2001 - 05.01.2001

Silence

Tom spends several weeks running into dead ends and finding doors closed at FSS National Headquarters. No one wants to confirm or comment on the retirement of the FSS paranormals from Project: Avenger. Even his special investigator and special assignment credentials fail to get Tom any straight answers.

Tom is about ready to give up on the investigation and start looking into the lead about Eve when he runs into Penny Lowe, an associate from his days as a field agent in Philadelphia. Penny says that she has heard that Tom has been trying to get info on the Project: Avenger agents. She gives Tom a manila envelope and tells him not to tell anyone where he got it.

Tom goes back to his hotel room and opens the envelope. In it he finds two CD-ROMs and some handwritten notes. Tom gets out his laptop and views the disks.

The first disk has files on the retired members of the FSS Field Directorate and FSS Response Forces. The files detail the date that each left the FSS and efforts by the FSS to keep track of each agent after their retirement. Tom is surprised to find that the FSS spent a good deal of resources on tracking the retired paranormals. He is not too surprised to find that a large number of them were able to elude their trackers and were currently listed as whereabouts unknown.

The second disk has files on the proceedings of the committee formed to find alternate force plans for the FSS due to the retirement of the Project: Avenger paranormals. Initial recommendations are to make no public announcements about the retirement of the Project: Avenger agents and to increase recruitment and training of FSS Rapid Response agents. Later recommendations include the improvement of equipment for Rapid Response agents with a secondary focus on finding additional paranormal resources. After further review of transportation designs and agent deployment schedules, the committee recommends that equal emphasis be placed on increasing recruitment and improving the equipment of Rapid Response agents as well as finding additional paranormal resources.

The second disk also has files detailing the formation and makeup of the FSS Prime Response unit. Gladiator and Centurion are designated as the unit's commanders. Special agents from the FSS Rapid Response units equipped with heavier armor and armaments make up the body of the new Prime Response unit. The FSS Prime Response unit is given the task of replacing the FSS Response Forces on an interim basis as the FSS works on a permanent force reassignment plan.

The last files on the second disk detail efforts to recruit new paranormals to supplement the FSS' agent corps. One method would offer paranormal criminals who had not committed violent crimes terms of probation working with the FSS instead of imprisonment. Another plan would involve the open recruitment of paranormals willing to submit to the extensive criminal backgrounds that all FSS agents must undergo. A third plan would borrow HGA-1 and LAS-1 battlesuits from the US Army Special Forces Alpha Response Force. The battlesuit weapon systems would be replaced with less lethal blaster and gas grenade weapon systems.

The handwritten notes explain that there were still efforts being made to locate the "missing" Project: Avenger agents. The number of Rapid Response agents had been doubled. Cost studies were ongoing into equipping all Rapid Response agents up to Prime Response unit levels. A group of agents were being trained in battlesuit operations and would soon be given field assignments as part of the Prime Response unit. No one outside of the FSS Directors knows where the battlesuits are coming from but it is suspected they are from the USASF Alpha Response Force. An announcement will be made about the retirement of the Project: Avenger paranormals as soon as the battlesuit agents are activated.

Tom makes two copies of the disks and transcribes the notes on two separate disks. He sends the one set of copies via secure courier to a drop box in San Francisco. Tom sends the second set of copies via a secure courier to one of Talon's drop boxes in Chicago.

The originals, he reseals in their manila envelope. Tom catches a train to Philadelphia. Once in Philadelphia, he sends the envelope via FedEx to the Wardens' North Bay estate. Afterwards, he catches a train back to Washington, DC.

Moreau

Back in Washington, Tom starts following up on the lead about Eve's origin. He spends a week researching the various special project proposals presented to the FSS for creating paranormals. None of the projects in the FSS files propose a project that would have resulted in an individual like Eve. The only lead that Tom comes across is that several of the special project proposals were referred to the Paranormal Studies Program at the National Institute of Health for further review.

Tom goes to the NIH and presents his credentials. He is escorted to the PSP administration office. After speaking with the director of the PSP and explaining that he is investigating a case, Tom is granted access to the NIH-PSP database.

Tom spends several days looking through the special project proposals in the NIH-PSP database. Most of the projects merit no more that a cursory once over, but he does find several mentions of a Project: Chimera. When he asks around about the project, no one can give him any details about it. Finally, a research assistant remembers the project had something to do with animals and suggests that Tom check with Dr. Barnstable, a senior geneticist in the animal diseases office.

Tom visits with Dr. Barnstable. The doctor remembers a little about Project: Chimera buts says it was not a very creditable idea so the project was never given serious consideration, hence the lack of information in the NIH-PSP database. Dr. Barnstable states that the project proposed fusing human genes with various animal genes to make paranormals. Tom asks who submitted the proposal and all Dr. Barnstable can remember is that the review committee jokingly called him "Moreau," as in the "Island of Doctor...". Tom thanks Barnstable for his help and gives the doctor his card in case the doctor remembers more about Project: Chimera.

Tom spends a few more days digging around for information on Project: Chimera. Finding no more, he decides to return to San Francisco.